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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27609665">Hand in Hand Towards the Future</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRev28/pseuds/TheRev28'>TheRev28</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Love Live! School Idol Festival ALL STARS (Video Game), Love Live! School Idol Project, ラブライブ! 虹ヶ咲学園スクールアイドル同好会 | Love Live! Nijigasaki Gakuen School Idol Doukoukai (Anime)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Anxiety, Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Light Angst, Love Confessions, Pining, Pre-Relationship, YuSetsuPomu</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 02:14:09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,272</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27609665</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRev28/pseuds/TheRev28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After years of not really having friends, Setsuna finally had two best friends in Yuu and Ayumu. It was just her luck that she fell head-over-heels in love with both of them.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Takasaki Yuu/Uehara Ayumu, Takasaki Yuu/Uehara Ayumu/Yuuki Setsuna</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>70</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Hand in Hand Towards the Future</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>If someone asked Setsuna when she first fell in love with Yuu, she’d probably tell them it was on the roof of the school, when Yuu told her it was okay to be selfish, that it was okay to chase what she loved. Standing there on that roof together, in that moment, she felt Yuu’s passion reignite her own. That was probably the moment Setsuna fell in love, even if she hadn’t known it yet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>If someone asked Setsuna when she first fell in love with Ayumu, she would have a tougher time pinpointing a single moment. Instead, it was a gradual shift from feelings of friendship to something more. Seeing her determination to constantly improve, seeing the kindness she showed her friends, seeing all the different sides of her as they spent countless afternoons together…. That was probably what did it. There was no “a-ha!” moment, but Setsuna did remember waking up one morning, completely sure that she was in love.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The fact that she felt these same feelings for two different people was bad enough in Setsuna’s mind. Part of her felt like it was unfair to Yuu, developing those feelings for someone else when she already felt that way towards her. Another part felt it was unfair to Ayumu, that she still clung to the feelings towards Yuu after falling for Ayumu. In the end, though, none of that mattered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Because Yuu and Ayumu were already dating each other.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Setsuna buried her face into her pillow and screamed her frustration out. She knew it didn’t do any actual good, but it offered some hint of emotional relief. Kicking her legs also helped. In the end, she did what she’d been doing the past week or so: going to sleep so she didn’t have to think about it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At club practice the next day, Setsuna once again tried her best to get through it without staring too much at Yuu or Ayumu. That was easier said than done when Yuu led the dance practice and Ayumu shared a large portion of the group choreography with Setsuna. Through a herculean effort, she made it through practice with minimal blushing and only a small stumble when Ayumu brushed a hand across her forearm.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As everyone filtered out of the club room at the end of the day, Setsuna debated about what to do for the rest of the day. She only had a little homework, so she could probably afford to spend some leisure time and hang out with her friends. Glancing around, though, it appeared all the other girls had left. There was a pang of disappointment, despite how short lived the anticipation had been.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey Setsuna!” Yuu said from behind her. She jumped a little and felt her heart rate increase. Turning around, Setsuna saw Yuu and Ayumu standing there. Distantly, she noticed they were holding hands.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, hi you two,” Setsuna said, trying to keep the chipperness in her voice. “I thought you’d left already.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We actually wanted to see if you’d like to join us on a shopping trip,” Ayumu said with a smile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, Ayumu wanted to look at cute summer dresses, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>apparently</span>
  </em>
  <span> she doesn’t trust my judgement,” Yuu said, playfully sticking her tongue out at Ayumu for good measure. “She wants you along to tell her what actually looks cute.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Setsuna blushed a little at the implication, but Ayumu continued, oblivious to that fact. “I just know you’ll tell me anything looks cute,” she said, smiling at Yuu. Then she looked back to Setsuna. “I trust you to tell me the truth.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Through another herculean effort, Setsuna stopped herself from saying something along the lines of, “Yuu’s right, you’d look cute no matter what.” Her mind kicked into overdrive because while they were her friends and she wanted to hang out with them, she didn’t know if her heart could handle being alone with them. Especially since she knew they’d do couple-y things.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She smiled but shook her head. “Sorry, I can’t today,” Setsuna said. “M-maybe we could hang out tomorrow?” She mentally face-palmed; there was no way tomorrow would be any different. Oh well, that’d be a problem for future Setsuna.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yuu and Ayumu initially looked disappointed at her rejection, but they quickly brightened up when she mentioned the next day.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That sounds great!” Yuu said, flashing one of her signature grins.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We can figure out what to do after practice,” Ayumu said, also smiling. “See you tomorrow, Setsu!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The two left the clubroom, leaving Setsuna alone. Good thing, too, otherwise they would have seen the massive blush on her face after hearing Ayumu call her “Setsu.” Ayumu had started doing it about a week ago, and the first time it happened, Setsuna had to sit down and regain her composure—discreetly, of course. At this point, it only reduced her to a blushing fool.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With nothing else to do, Setsuna left school and went home. She did her homework like a good student and ate dinner with her parents like a good daughter, but she realized while lying in bed that she hadn’t been a good friend lately. She knew she'd been specifically avoiding Yuu and Ayumu, and the only reason she had said no earlier was her own insecurity. It killed her inside because she </span>
  <em>
    <span>wanted</span>
  </em>
  <span> to hang out with her friends; she’d never really had friends to hang out with before. But she felt… bad… having these feelings she kept hidden from them. It felt like she was lying to them just by spending time with them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She lightly slapped her cheeks, trying to break out of that mindset. Ayumu and Yuu were her friends, possibly her </span>
  <em>
    <span>best</span>
  </em>
  <span> friends, and she wanted to act like it. She wouldn’t chicken out the next day. The three of them would hang out together like friends do, and they would have a good time. With renewed determination, Setsuna went to sleep.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sadly, that determination had waned by the time practice rolled around. It must be the proximity, Setsuna thought. When Yuu and Ayumu weren't around, she could almost pretend everything was still normal between the three of them. As soon as they were all together, though, she was reminded just how head-over-heels she was for both of them. All that to say: Once again, practice was a rough time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Afterwards, with the anxiety rising in her stomach, Setsuna honestly considered bailing and heading straight home. However, she knew that'd only make her feel worse in the long run. This was something she had to face head on with courage and determination, just like her favorite shounen manga protagonists. She finished changing out of her workout clothes and returned to the clubroom to find her friends.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yuu and Ayumu sat together at one of the tables, doing their own things on their phones. Though Setsuna couldn’t help but notice their free hands intertwined under the table. She tried to ignore it as she approached. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hi Setsu,” Ayumu said, looking up from her phone. “Great work at practice today.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“T-thanks, you too,” Setsuna said, fighting to keep her blush down.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You both looked incredible as always!” Yuu said. “So what do we want to do now? Ayumu and I thought we’d let you pick since you couldn’t make it yesterday.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh! Um, well…,” Setsuna trailed off as she tried to think of something. She hadn’t expected to be put on the spot like this. “Well… I heard the arcade recently got a few new games. We could do that?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah sure, sounds fun!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The three left the school together, and Setsuna tried to ignore the fact that Yuu and Ayumu hadn’t stopped holding hands. She tried to distract herself by talking about some of her favorite games, and for a wonder, it kind of worked. Talking about things she enjoyed always calmed her nerves, and Yuu and Ayumu were always so good about letting her do that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They got to the arcade quickly enough, and Setsuna made a beeline for the VR arena she’d read about online. She didn’t really talk about it much, but she loved shooters, and the prospect of getting to play a VR shooter had been too enticing. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With the VR packs on, they entered the virtual arena. The scenario was an alien invasion, and Setsuna immediately felt like a cool space marine. Playing in VR felt so intuitive that it hardly took any time for her to get used to it. She made sure to keep an eye on Yuu and Ayumu, though; at least until they looked more comfortable. After a little bit, they got pretty good, especially at watching each other’s backs. The two almost had a sixth sense for when the other needed help, and Setsuna felt a small twinge of envy at seeing yet another way in which they were so close.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When the game finally ended, Setsuna was shocked to see her name at number 8 on the overall leaderboard. Ayumu and Yuu came up to stand next to her and followed her gaze up to the board.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wow, Setsuna!” Yuu said. “I didn’t realize you were so good at this sort of thing!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Setsuna let out a little embarrassed laugh. “I really like shooters, so doing it in VR felt very natural. I was impressed by how much you two improved in such a short time. Once you started watching the other’s back, you lived a lot longer!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’ve been looking out for each other since elementary school,” Ayumu said, smiling at Yuu and once more taking her hand. “It’s almost second nature at this point.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Another stab of envy, jealousy, and other ugly emotions shot through Setsuna, and she tried her hardest not to let it show on her face. This was supposed to be a fun time out with friends, and she didn’t want her stupid feelings to get in the way of that. She forced those ugly emotions back down, and the three of them visited other parts of the arcade.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Throughout the rest of the afternoon, Setsuna seemed to alternate between spikes of envy and anxiety. Since most of the games in the arcade were two-player, one of them often had to sit out. Whenever Setsuna sat out, the envy rose at seeing Ayumu and Yuu having so much fun together. When one of them sat out, Setsuna’s anxiety spiked as she couldn’t help but feel like she was keeping them from having fun together.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After only an hour at the arcade together, she couldn’t take it anymore. Some part of her would snap if this kept going on. She took out her phone and tried to feign disappointment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, you two, but my parents just texted me,” Setsuna said. “They said they want me home soon. Sorry for having to cut this short.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s ok, Setsuna!” Yuu said. “We understand.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We still had a really fun time,” Ayumu said, smiling. “We should hang out like this again soon.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Y-yeah,” Setsuna said, struggling not to fidget. “Anyway, I’ll see you both tomorrow at school.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They said their goodbyes, and Setsuna hurried home. The entire time, her heart felt like it would beat itself out of her chest. Once home, she tried to keep her mind busy by doing homework until dinner. It only partially worked. A little bead of anxiety had wedged itself in the back of her mind.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was still there after dinner. Setsuna knew she should talk about it with someone, and her mind immediately went to Karin. She must have lots of experience with love, right? Before she could second guess herself, she pulled out her phone and dialed Karin’s number.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Setsuna?” Karin said, surprise evident in her voice. “This is unexpected. Is everything okay?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes! Everything’s fine!” Setsuna quickly said. She didn’t want Karin to be worried about her. “I mean, not everything’s fine, that’s why I’m calling. I mean I’m safe, don’t worry! I just—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Setsuna, take a breath.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She immediately complied, inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth. Her heartbeat, which she hadn’t noticed getting faster, slowed back down to a more reasonable rate.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good,” Karin said. “Now, why don’t we start from the top. To what do I owe the pleasure of this unexpected call?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Setsuna took a few more deep breaths before actually answering. “I wanted to get your advice on something.” She tried to think of how to explain her situation without thoroughly embarrassing herself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That something being…,” Karin prompted after Setsuna had been silent for too long.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay so Ayumu and Yuu are my best friends, right? N-not to say that I’m not friends with the other club members—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know what you mean, Setsuna, it’s okay. I consider Emma my best friend, but that doesn’t mean I’m not friends with everyone else. It’s natural to be closer to some people than others, and Yuu and Ayumu are in your year, after all.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right, right. W-well, lately, whenever I’m around them, I can’t help but feel anxious. Like I’m hiding something from them, and they’ll somehow find out.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well </span>
  <em>
    <span>are</span>
  </em>
  <span> you hiding something?” Karin asked, cutting right to the chase.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“…Kind of,” Setsuna said after a short pause. It was hard to come out and admit that, but the rational part of her brain knew Karin couldn’t help without knowing the full picture. Or at least most of the picture.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When it was clear Setsuna wouldn’t elaborate, Karin continued. “Then maybe if you tell them the truth, you won’t feel as bad when you spend time with them.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But what if it makes them hate me?” Setsuna whispered, finally giving voice to her greatest fear. After so long without real friends, the thought of losing them scared her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Setsuna….” The warmth and care in Karin’s voice almost brought Setsuna to tears. “I sincerely doubt either Yuu </span>
  <em>
    <span>or</span>
  </em>
  <span> Ayumu could hate you for any reason. It’s plain to see they both love you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Setsuna’s heart skipped a beat. Even though she knew Karin didn’t mean it like that, just hearing those words spoken sent a shock through her system.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you still there?” Karin asked after Setsuna had been silent for a while.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Y-yeah, I’m still here,” she said, sniffling a little. “I’m just… it’s scary to be open about your feelings sometimes, isn’t it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It can be, yes. But I think if anyone can push through that fear and show their true self, it’s you. Plus, I don’t like it when my friends are sad, so you should chase after what will make you smile again. You’re much cuter when you smile.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Setsuna couldn’t help but laugh at Karin’s playful flirt. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you, Karin. This was exactly the kind of pep talk I needed. And you’re right. If I can go up on stage and show the world who I really am, I can be honest with my best friends—even if it’s scary.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Now that sounds like the Setsuna we all know and love,” Karin said. “Good luck with it, and know I’ll be rooting for you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I really appreciate it. I’ll see you tomorrow during practice.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The two hung up, and Setsuna flopped back onto her bed. She had been right in her decision to call Karin. Talking through her problem had felt good, and Karin was no-nonsense enough not to let her get sidetracked or wallow in self-pity. Even though some of the anxiety from earlier was still there, the edge had been taken off. For the first time in weeks, her heart felt lighter, and Setsuna slept soundly through the night.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The next morning, the first thing Setsuna did at school was find Yuu and Ayumu and ask them to meet her on the roof after practice. While it caused a fresh spike of anxiety to settle in her stomach, she knew she had to commit to this course of action early. She couldn’t leave herself an escape route. She couldn’t let herself back down. She was tired of feeling alienated from her best friends by her own dumb feelings. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Practice once again came and went. To their credit, Yuu and Ayumu acted the same as they always did. Setsuna did her best, and she liked to think it was no worse than she’d been doing lately—a few blushes, one or two minor stumbles, but nothing catastrophic. As she left the clubroom to change out of her practice clothes, she whispered to Ayumu to meet on the roof in five minutes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She changed quicker than she ever had before and was on the roof in three minutes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When Ayumu and Yuu got to the roof, they found Setsuna idly pacing back and forth. She stopped after noticing them and gave a small smile. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks for agreeing to meet me up here, you two,” Setsuna said as they approached. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Our pleasure, Setsuna,” Ayumu said. “Is everything alright? You seem a little nervous.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes! Yes, everything’s fine. I just, um…. Okay, so there’s something I want to tell you two, but could you please let me get it all out before you say anything?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course,” Yuu said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Setsuna took a deep breath and dove in headfirst. “So the truth is, I’ve… been keeping something from both of you. And I want to be honest with you, because you’re my best friends.” She paused to look at Yuu. “You told me it was okay to be a little selfish in chasing what I loved. Well… I’ve come to realize I love </span>
  <em>
    <span>you.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Both of you. I know I have no right coming between you two, but I hate feeling like I’m hiding something. So I wanted to get this off my chest and clear the air. I hope you don’t think less of me for it and we can still be friends.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In the silence that followed, Setsuna closed her eyes and took a few more deep breaths. She did it, she was open with her feelings. Hopefully she could finally move on.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A warmth surrounded her, and when she opened her eyes, she saw Yuu and Ayumu hugging her. They each gave a quick squeeze before stepping back, radiant smiles on their faces. Setsuna, meanwhile, had her eyes wide and her jaw dropped as he brain tried to catch up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you for being so honest with us, Setsu,” Yuu said. “That took a lot of courage.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And I can confidently speak for both of us when I say we love you too,” Ayumu said. She looked at Yuu and held her hand. “The two of us have been talking lately, and we both realized we had come to love you the same way we love each other.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We didn’t know what to do because we didn’t think you felt the same. But hearing your confession, I think I have an idea.” Yuu paused, looked at Ayumu, then held out her free hand towards Setsuna. Ayumu did the same a moment later. “If we all love each other, none of us should be left out.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Setsuna stood there, rooted in place, staring at the hands outstretched towards her. Her mind didn’t know what to do. Yuu and Ayumu? Felt the same? They </span>
  <em>
    <span>both</span>
  </em>
  <span> loved her </span>
  <em>
    <span>back?</span>
  </em>
  <span> It was more than a dream come true because Setsuna hadn’t even dared to dream it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With tears stinging the corners of her eyes, Setsuna reached out and took both hands. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There, on the roof where it all started, the three of them took the first steps into an unknown future. They might not know where it would lead them, but they knew they’d find out together.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Not much to say this time around, I just think this OT3 is really neat. Everyone should know I'm a SetsuAyu shipper, and YuPomu hits my weakness for the childhood friends trope. And ever since episode 3 of the anime, I've shipped YuSetsu. I figured if I ship all three combinations, why not ship the OT3? My life has been better because of it, lol.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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